John A. Lacko | Special to Kalamazoo GazetteTennys Sandgren won the 16s Singles at last year's USTA Boys' 18 & 16 National Championships.

Tennys Sandgren, 16s singles winner in '07, returns a more seasoned player

KALAMAZOO -- Blueberries and cream are definitely on the menu for Tennys Sandgren next week during the USTA Boys' 18 & 16 National Championships.

And no matter how he fares this year, Sandgren will always be part of the tournament's history after winning the 16s singles title last August, something very special to him.
Three years ago, on his first trip to Kalamazoo, "I saw all the names of the guys who won the 16s and 18s previously, and now to be listed with them is really cool," Sandgren, 17, said.

"To have my name on the trophy is really special."

As the top seed last year, Sandgren, who lives in Gallatin, Tenn., was taken to three sets in four of his seven matches and defeated fourth-seeded Bo Seal, 6-3, 6-2, in the final.
"I had some pretty exciting matches," Sandgren said, laughing. "Some that shouldn't have been that exciting."

And he remembers every one of them, especially in the third round when he defeated unseeded Thomas Pham, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

"I was down a set and at 4-4 in the second," he said. "Then I came back and won 6-2 in the third."

Sandgren said one of the best things about being a top seed is playing on the front courts at Kalamazoo College's Stowe Stadium.

Action is split between Stowe and Western Michigan University's Sorensen Courts.
By winning the 16s title, he earned entry into the main draw of the Junior U.S. Open, where he lost a first-round match to fifth-seeded Greg Jones, of Australia, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(5).

"It was amazing, extremely fun," Sandgren said. "It was great walking into the players' lounge and seeing all the pros like (Roger) Federer and (Rafael) Nadal."
This year, his first in 18s, he's seeded 10th, but "I still put a little bit of pressure on myself no matter what," he said.

Sandgren has been testing the international tennis scene, playing several ITF tournaments, and has a world junior ranking of 59 -- sixth among Americans in the ITF rankings.

Nationally, he's ranked 22nd among juniors.

He's also played two futures tournaments, qualifying for both and winning a main-draw match in one.

"I got a point (in the pro rankings)," he said facetiously. "When I look (at points of other players), I am so many points away from anywhere."

Sandgren played the qualifiers of the Junior French Open, but lost in the final round. He also competed overseas in February, in Malaysia and Thailand -- "It was very hot," he noted.

"It was a good experience to see what it was like playing overseas. I liked playing in Europe on the red clay, especially in Italy."

But his favorite venue to date is Kalamazoo.

"It's great to play in front of such a large crowd and I'm definitely looking forward to the blueberries and cream," he said.

As for his first name, Sandgren was named after his great-grandfather, Tennys Sandgren, who was born in Manistee in 1896.

So far, the name hasn't drawn much media attention in tournaments.

"There's only so much a name can help you," he said. "I haven't done well enough yet."